[PatO]

'1949Molly' wrote on '16:

PatO,

I was very interested in your “cognitive behavioral therapy” as this treatment has been discussed a lot on this site. I for one would love to hear your entire experience with this. I could never afford to do it so second hand info is about all I'll get.

Well, after many other attempts to find a solution to my sleeplessness I found a sleep specialist who placed me on CBT. The doctor instructed me to remove any television from my bedroom; hide my alarm clock; go to bed only when sleepy; get out of bed and go to another room if I cannot sleep within 15 to 30 minutes of laying down; and get up at the same time every day. Anyways, I am following the doctors instructions as closely as possible and I am still getting only limited amounts of sleep ( 1 hour to 3 hours). 1949Molly, I completely understand your situation and in all honesty I should also be taking medication, but I believe that If I don't try this now, (while the chronic insomnia is still relatively new) then I will never be able to look back and say I tried all alternatives. I will keep you updated as to my success or failure with the therapy.

[Daz27041]

Hi Martin, Thanks very much for the welcome to the site. It's great, job well done mate! In relation to CBT, when I went to see a counsellor initially I was told that I would be treated with CBT, but alas as time went on, I wasn't. Other 'issues' which weren't an issue for me were discussed. I sometimes walked away from therapy thinking what an absolute load of hogwash. We just chit chatted about stuff in general, quite often not about me. I think the counsellor may have been digging for something which as I have said before, I don't think was there in the first place. I remember one session where my counsellor discussed 'success and what it means' and read to me from a document which I was to take home anyway. I wasn't there because I considered myself a failure, quite the opposite really. I was there because I couldn't sleep. I just think at the time there was nothing they could do so just went along with the chit-chat to kill off the hour. Even though my counsellor knew my main issue was sleeping and initially a depression, the only advice I got was as previously stated, “Don't worry about it, it will happen.” Gee thanks for the scoop! Real help. I really thought she thought that it would just go away. I was sleeping on and off when I was seeing her. The good point was she kept pointing out that I had an ability to cope perfectly fine with limited sleep, so I am thankful for that. I regret not saying that I was not getting anything from the sessions and that I thought we were discussing stuff that was not pertinent to my situation. So in answer to your question Martin I don't think I really got the CBT I thought I was going to get. I got no real advice in how to deal with it. I was promised some positive scripts about sleeping to read and say to myself, but they never came, even after several reminders ….

Now this Sleep Better Without Drugs booklet I have is a complete self help CBT program full of wonderful advice, facts, exposes myths, outlines strategies, tips, success stories, sleep diaries but most importantly gives you reassurance that you'll be OK. I love the section about getting your mind OK with not sleeping, I found that like a lifeboat whilst being cast adrift in the sea of insomnia.

[1949Molly]

'Daz27041' wrote on '17:

Hi Martin, Thanks very much for the welcome to the site. It's great, job well done mate! In relation to CBT, when I went to see a counsellor initially I was told that I would be treated with CBT, but alas as time went on, I wasn't. Other 'issues' which weren't an issue for me were discussed. I sometimes walked away from therapy thinking what an absolute load of hogwash. We just chit chatted about stuff in general, quite often not about me. I think the counsellor may have been digging for something which as I have said before, I don't think was there in the first place. I remember one session where my counsellor discussed 'success and what it means' and read to me from a document which I was to take home anyway. I wasn't there because I considered myself a failure, quite the opposite really. I was there because I couldn't sleep. I just think at the time there was nothing they could do so just went along with the chit-chat to kill off the hour. Even though my counsellor knew my main issue was sleeping and initially a depression, the only advice I got was as previously stated, “Don't worry about it, it will happen.” Gee thanks for the scoop! Real help. I really thought she thought that it would just go away. I was sleeping on and off when I was seeing her. The good point was she kept pointing out that I had an ability to cope perfectly fine with limited sleep, so I am thankful for that. I regret not saying that I was not getting anything from the sessions and that I thought we were discussing stuff that was not pertinent to my situation. So in answer to your question Martin I don't think I really got the CBT I thought I was going to get. I got no real advice in how to deal with it. I was promised some positive scripts about sleeping to read and say to myself, but they never came, even after several reminders ….

Now this Sleep Better Without Drugs booklet I have is a complete self help CBT program full of wonderful advice, facts, exposes myths, outlines strategies, tips, success stories, sleep diaries but most importantly gives you reassurance that you'll be OK. I love the section about getting your mind OK with not sleeping, I found that like a lifeboat whilst being cast adrift in the sea of insomnia.

Your first paragraph was wonderful and helpful for me (I can't afford CBT) but the second part wasn't. Sorry, but right now (at 68) all I can do is drugs. I will ask my doctor next time I go if I can consult a “sleep specialist”. I'm almost positive she will say not unless your foot the bill. My latest “worry” came from my work. They are cutting my hours back. That was good for 2 nights of very poor sleep. Thanks anyway for the effort.

[wonderhussy]

Hey Darrin! I'm interested in reading “Learn to Sleep Better Without Drugs..” if you can send me a copy it would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks 🙂

[email protected]

[1949Molly]

'Daz27041' wrote on '15:

Hi PatO,

Thanks for the welcome to the group. I am going to have to start getting out of bed as being in bed awake is associating the brain with 'It's ok to lie here and not be asleep'. I too will have to start a journal recording my sleeping habits and hygiene. One integral part of the program I will be resuming is to stay up atleast 1 hour past your normal bedtime. The author warns that you may get less sleep in the short term, but in the long term it will be resetting the biological clock and as sleep comes easier you can start winding back the lateness of going to bed and slowly get to bed earlier over time. My issue is sleep on-set. Getting to sleep. Once I am asleep no problems, I don't wake up and if I do I can go right back to sleep usually without a problem. I have a friend, a fellow police officer who has to be in bed every night by 9.30pm as she will be awake anytime from 1-2am and will stay awake the rest of the night. She has been like this her entire life. She limits personal activities in the evening as she has to be in bed ready to go to sleep at her appointed time. Sometime she lays there for a while before going to sleep. She too is trying the program and had some early success, once even sleeping till about 4.30am. She came in to work absolutely glowing and on cloud nine. She had not slept that good in a very very long time. I forgot to mention it but I am also taking powder magnesium as well as it can have great effects on insomnia. I might double the dose to one tsp in the morning and another at night. I am really amazed at something which I have managed to do automatically for 41 years, now somehow for some reason eludes me. I would like to see/hear from someone who can dispel the myths associated with insomnia. I think this in turn would ease my sleep anxiety a little. I wish you the best of luck PatO.

There's a lot of talk about “Sleep Hygene” What exactly is sleep hygene? I'm going to my GP tomorrow again to see if she can come up with some “miracle”. All I can do now is take my usual 3 sleep meds and tonight I'm taking an extra Temazepam at 2 or 3 am. Last time I tried this it took ages to kick in (more anxiety about – now is this not going to work too?) but the next thing I knew it was 8:30am (not a work day).

[Daz27041]

1949Molly. Send me a personal message…

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